Megaconstellation math: 1.4M satellites would burn 520K tons per year in atmosphere
bradneuberg · x · 2026-10-08
- Jason Dunn estimates that if all filed megaconstellations (SpaceX's million data-center sats, Starlink, Blue Origin, Starcloud, Amazon Leo, plus 250K Chinese satellites) reach steady state, there would be 1.4 million satellites.
- With 5-year lifespans, that means replacing/deorbiting 285,000 satellites a year — roughly 520,000 tons per year, or 1,400 tons/day burning up in the upper atmosphere.
- Brad Neuberg comments that the industry is flying blind on environmental impact and should get ahead of it before regulators shut it down.
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